


Don't You Dare Be Late

by tragicallywicked



Category: Agent Carter (TV), Captain America (Movies), Marvel (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-28
Updated: 2015-01-31
Packaged: 2018-03-09 09:57:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3245405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tragicallywicked/pseuds/tragicallywicked
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s 1952, S.H.I.E.L.D.’s founders Peggy Carter, Captain Phillips and Howard Stark have been secretly researching ways to develop the scientific field on the tracks left behind by the Tesseract. During some testing sessions, Peggy Carter volunteers to go on the next try—as the three have been double-thinking their current volunteer’s real intents. When things go terribly wrong in the testing capsule, Peggy vanishes from everyone’s sights, just like World War soldiers would go when hit by Nazi officer Johann Schmidt’s weapons. Defeated, believing Agent Carter has died, Phillips and Stark put the research on the classified deactivated files and try to move on from that disaster. What they do not know is that Peggy did not die, she’s just been sent to another time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Last Memory

**Author's Note:**

  * For [nani1986](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nani1986/gifts).



> I'm dedicating this fanfic to the said lady because of the great help for me to join here and support to my writings. Thanks, dear!  
> ~  
> It is set after the first Avengers movie and before the second Captain America movie—which I will not use as much reference for now. The fanfic was created by a headcanon I had and it’ll probably follow an AU road. It is centered in Steggy relationship, mostly, and them having a second chance in this new world and time. I’m more than welcoming suggestions, so please let me know your thoughts. I’m familiar with some of the comics, but not all of them, and all the Marvel movies and series. So probably most of you know more about the Marvel universe than I do. That’s why I really would love to hear suggestions and critics. I don’t know if anyone has come before with an idea similar to this one, as I’ve never seen one—but I have been far from the fanfic world for a while. So I promise you this is all me. And I hope you enjoy. Good reading!

There’s a strong, bright and blue light before everything just blacks off. A few seconds before that, or maybe while the light reached her, she saw her whole life pass through her eyes. Peggy saw her hometown, her school friends, her family. She saw her friends, S.H.I.E.L.D. and the war. Then, she saw Steve. He was smiling at her and that fulfilled her in an inexplicable way, making the blood run faster through her veins. He’s the vision that lasts longer, even though everything just comes in a brief second, and he’s walking to her. For a moment she believes in their impossible possibilities and they do exist, there, for just a small moment. Just as fast as it comes, it disappears.

On the background, Peggy can hear a deafening noise. She groans. Even though the brunette agent wants to open up her eyes, it seems hard to do it, having that awkward feeling they had been glued tight close. It’s when she starts coming back to her senses. Taste, touch, smell. She feels there’s something underneath her, that she’s laying down on some soft yet warm layer. It’s sand, Peggy realizes. Opening the eyes becomes a  _need_ , a struggle. The lights come again, as she manages to open them. Just to close the next second. Takes a few blinks to actually formulate figures. The sky is the first thing her dark-brown eyes glance at. It’s fully bright and blue, like the last light she’s seen. Peggy imagines the testing room exploded or ejected her outside, that’d be the only plausible explanation to her being on the outdoors. But then again, she’d probably dead if it was the case. So, is she in heaven?

As she tries to push her hands against the ground to stand up, Peggy feels every bone in her body hurt. She’s certainly not in heaven. If she was dead, that was probably hell—especially with that burning sun on her head. With some difficulty, the woman seats up and take a glance around.  _Nothing_. Absolutely nothing. It is like she’s in some sort of desert. But how?

Confused and hurting, desperation reaches her and she stands up completely, with difficulty, and starts walking. Peggy doesn’t know how long she has been lying there, but she needs to move. The only problem was: where the hell she was?

She walks, tiredly but unstoppable. It’s hard to tell for how long. Maybe it was hours, it did felt like it, but it might have only been minutes. There’s a trail left behind her, in case she needs to come back, but Peggy doubts she will. Women put in those circumstances would be crying and groaning, but Peggy is tough. It hurts everywhere in her body and her head feels as it’ll explode at any second, but she’s holding back. And she does it until she finds a small cottage. Then, after knocking on the door and being greeted by an alarmed old lady, Peggy just faints.

~*

“There’s been a report of a different electrical force field reported nearby Jersey.” Nick Fury tells his men with a concerned voice and a slight frown. “Did anybody report back on talk around the place?”

“The area it’s practically a desert, sir. I don’t believe anybody saw anything.” One on the computer said.

“People always see things.” Natasha Romanoff corrects, cleaning her throat as she enters the room. “You asked to see me, sir?” She’s talking to Fury now. Behind her arrive other two Avengers, Dr. Banner and the charming Captain Rogers.

“Yes, agent Romanoff. We had strange activity happening in Jersey and I’d like you to check that.” She was nodding before Fury even finished his sentence. And in the next second she was making a turn, followed by the other two that had arrived together. “I’d prefer you two stay.”

“Not very wise to send the girl out there alone.” Banner frowned slightly and Romanoff gave him a straight look, that actually made him chuckle. “Not that she can’t take care of herself, of course.”

“Tell Barton to go with you.” Fury added then. Steve stood after the other two left then, you could see he seemed lost in some way, which was weird to Captain America. He finally spoke up though, after a few minutes of silence and thinking.

“I’d like to go and help, sir.” Fury shook his head.

“I have a feeling you should stay this time.” Nick made a pause. “Plus, I need to update you on something we’ve been worrying about.”

“Does it involve Stark?”

“It always involves Stark.” Nick nodded, one side on his lip curving up. The kid was smart, he thought to himself.

~*

“Why these things always need to happen in the middle of the nowhere?” Natasha snorted in a bothered tone. She hated deserts and she hated sand. The agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. that went with her and Barton that circled the area for protection, though it didn’t really need any evacuation as it was  _in the middle of the nowhere_.

“Did you prefer it landed in the middle of Times Square?” Clint rose a brow at her, and chuckled. Knowing Natasha, she wouldn’t mind that at all.

“It’s not like New Yorkers haven’t seen it all already.” And she confirmed his thoughts. “But it’s not a  _it_ , that’s a  _her_.”

“How are you so sure it’s a woman? Obviously that’s a human body but…” Romanoff interrupted him with a laugh. “What?”

“I though you knew better to recognize a female shape.” Then they exchanged this look, conflicted in their own way. “It’s certainly the shape of a woman. And not too young I’d say. Also not old.”

“Looks you’re the lady’s expert.” Natasha rolled her eyes at him and they both glanced at an agent that approached them.

“It is a female body.” Clint looked away, because he knew Natasha was smirking at the other agent’s words. “There’s a trail following to a small house five miles away.”

“That’s a hell of a walk to someone who just fell off the skies.” Clint added, the frown stuck in his forehead again.

“We checked, there’s just an old lady living there.” The agent continued.

“Maybe she took in the woman?” Natasha thought out loud, glancing Clint then. “Let’s go make sure.” The both then exited to the car as Barton nodded at Romanoff. “I’m not sure why I have a weird feeling about this.”


	2. Encounters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Continue the thrilling tale while Peggy Carter finds herself in 2013 after being transported through time without realizing it. What will Steve Rogers do when he finds his long lost love is there, in his world and time?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the subscribes, kudos and comments on this fic. I have written five chapters already and I’ll be posting them in the next few days. Also, as some of you may know, English is my second language so I'm just warning you to be patient with me while I understand myself with my Carter helpers, aka beta readers. Now I hope you enjoy the reading and ‘till next chapter. Please send me your lovely comments!

After the struggled had passed, Peggy was waking up again. This time the surroundings helped her on a quicker recover. Even before she opened her eyes, Carter knew to be lying on a bed instead of the sand, thanks to the full softness of the duvet that also covered her body—the head also careful and comfortably placed on a pillow. If that whole think had been a dream, she was to find now. Reality struck her like a kick in the balls. That was  _not_  S.H.I.E.L.D. and that was not home either. At least not hers. Without moving her body, Peggy’s eyes circled around. Thick concrete walls, badly painted in an ugly mustard color, few paints. The bed was a singles and there was a bedside table near it, with a glass of water carefully placed on it. She considered taking it, but Peggy was smarter than that.

Seating up she found a towel and a note placed on the foot of the bed. It read: “ _You’re probably confused now. I went out to get medicine for your wounds. You may shower if you want, the bathroom is down the hallway. Liz._ ” Hell yeah, she was confuse. Who was Liz and how did she end up there? The last traces of memories were the desert and walking to a little house. But it was hard to believe someone trustable lived alone with nothing around. Peggy thought then she needed to get out of there, fast. Standing up wasn’t easy again, but then again had been harder before. Stumbling, Peggy got to the living room, lightened by a couple of weak lamps. Nobody seemed to be around, so she got a chance there to escape.

Stepping out to exit, Peggy found her imagine reflected in a mirror. There were cuts in her face, but the blood seemed to have dried out already. Although there were still traces of sand on her clothes and body, it was clear the woman that took her in tried to clean it out. Her arms carried a couple of bruises, but the worst she was her red lipstick blurred. It made her frown and let out a deep sigh. Now, she’d have to handle like that.

It was dark outside and Peggy had a hard time managing to walk and see properly due to all the pain and that strong wind that reached her. But from a far, there were light that could be seen. After a couple minutes walking, a road showed up and she knew the path to at least find what appeared to be a city.

~*

Nick Fury had settled an emergency meeting when Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton returned from their search on the spot with awkward outside activity. They hadn’t been able to find the woman as she had ran off, but the old lady living there was able to give a pretty good sketch on what they were looking for. And that was what worried him. What came drawn in that paper. It was impossible and it could be a trick, that’s why S.H.I.E.L.D. was keeping an eye on the lady’s activity for now. But if she really was an honest one who had taken in a lost woman in her house, and that woman was the one described in the sketch, he feared  _many_  things. First of all, that soon enough she’d be completely confused with the world surrounding her, which was the easiest way to lose track of someone.

But that was why he needed to talk to the Avengers. Well, at least ninety-percent of them first.

Stark and Thor were the first ones to arrive. Romanoff and Barton had already been there. Banner came at last, delayed by his laboratory work. Everyone glanced at him as he came into the room and that was something that always made the man terribly uncomfortable.

“We’re ready to start.” Fury said, as Dr. Banner walked in.

“What about Mr. Tight Pants?” Stark joke, smiling around to his  _mates_ , but Banner was the only one to show the slight sign of a smile. He was pretty sure the Hulk felt compassion to him, because they were both badass scientists. But Stark always had miraculous theories about everything.

“Rogers needs to be out of this. For now.” All of them narrow their eyes, some confused while other showed clearly suspicious. But all kept in silence, waiting to what was to follow. “Today we tracked traces of outside activity nearby Jersey. Romanoff and Barton went there and confirmed there was a woman’s body on the local that disappeared. But there are only footsteps of one person, so she probably stood up and left.” Fury paused and clicked some buttons that showed pictures and information on the area. “We confirmed later there are traces of the Tesseract force around.”

“That’s impossible.” Stark intervened instantly. “Unless, of course, someone didn’t do what was promised.” His eyes went straight and shameless to Thor, who raised a brow.

“Do not start with it, Stark.” Natasha just rolled her eyes.

“I thought it was impossible indeed, Stark, until they came back with the sketch of the woman.”

“How did they get it?” Banner asked, confused on what he had missed in the story.

“I’ll get there.” Fury cleaned his throat. “It appears the woman found a small house on her escape and a lady took her in.”

“The lady said she fainted on her door.” Barton spoke up for the first time. Because he, out of everyone else in there, understood the situation. Because he knew who the woman was. And Clint knew it was impossible.

“Exactly. She then dragged her in and tried to settle her.”

“She said the woman was pretty bad wounded and bleeding, so we take she didn’t went far.” Natasha intervened. She had been guessing Fury would assign them all to find her, not knowing it went beyond that.

“Finding her is important, but it’s not our biggest problem.” Fury said and Natasha instantly frowned.

“No?”

“No. The thing is, I wasn’t believing when I saw the sketch. But we’ve been monitoring the old lady and she does seem harmless, so it couldn’t be a lie.”

“Old ladies are always a lie. We shouldn’t trust her.” Stark said, making the others roll eyes.

“What’s so important about the woman?” Banner asked then.

“She’s S.H.I.E.L.D.” Fury clicked some buttons and Peggy Carter appear on their screen. “Peggy Carter, known as Agent Carter. She co-founded S.H.I.E.L.D. with Captain Phillips and…”

“My father.” Stark completed, amazed and confused. He had seen her face before in his father’s pictures. He knew who she was.

“Exactly.” Nick continued. “She trained soldiers in World War II.”

“She trained Steve.” All of them concluded, though Natasha said it out loud.

“Yes. And our files show they were very close. There’s not any confirmation they had anything  _romantic_ , but I do know Captain Rogers had a love interest on her in the past, 70 years-ago. She gave interviews saying all the best about Steve and she was involved in the super-soldier project. We also know he relied on her for courage and support.”

“So how is a ninety-years old running around wounded?” Thor spoke finally, completely lost now.

“She’s not.” Barton replied himself, clearing his throat.

“That’s the sketch Clint and Natasha brought in.” Fury said, passing the paper to the others that hadn’t seen him, observing the right moment where they all widened eyes.

“How come?” Banner blinked, adjusting his glassed in his nose. “She looks exactly the same as in the 40s.”

“We do know she retired S.H.I.E.L.D. years ago, so there’s information she grew from that face. We don’t know  _how_ she got like this again, though.”

“I have two thoughts on that…” Stark, that had been quiet and reflexive stood up. “One is that she managed to become young again, but that wouldn’t explain her showing up in the middle of Jersey. Which leads me to think they might have traveled her through time.”

“That’s not possible.” Natasha snorted off, impatiently.

“Have you not realized things are  _not_  impossible yet?” Banner asked.

“I thought on that too, Stark.” Fury finally cleared.

“It may actually be possible. Time and space are complicated things. When you see a star on Earth, you’re seeing something that happened billions of years ago in space, you all know it through your own science.” Thor reminded then. “If there was a gap and it was found by them in the past, we could be seeing a Peggy Carter that actually traveled through time, arriving Earth like the stars sight. You said there were traces of the Tesseract. It’s known it was in S.H.I.E.L.D.’s possession back in the 40s?”

“It was used by a Nazi scientist to build weapons during the War.” Banner clarified.

“So it is possible. We do not know the full power of the Tesseract, we just know it is powerful.” Natasha corrected her previous self, still shocked by all the information.

“Now our priority is finding Agent Carter and bringing her in. If she’s coming from the 40s, she’ll be just like Steve when we found him frozen. In the meantime, I’ll update Rogers on everything that’s happened.”

“Finding her will be a piece of cake. Good luck with Mr. Tight Pants.” Standing up, Stark was already heading out the room, being followed by the others. Fury narrowed his eyes, with a slight shake of head.

~*

That small city Peggy had reached was rather estrange. The cars seemed more technological and people didn’t look up to see who was passing through them, as they appeared to be entertained in some sort of device that lightened up and the could manipulate with fingerprints. She was confuse and sometimes seemed like the world spins a little faster than she was used to, because her mind would turn dizzy every five seconds. Which made her breathing get rough sometimes.

People stumbled on her as she passed through, though some tried to turn on a different way and avoid the collision. None stopped to ask why there were wounds and bruises on her and Peggy wondered if she was invisible. Or what kind of world was that, where people seemed invisible to others.

She sat on a bench because now her stomach also turned. Peggy groaned, but madly. She hated feeling weak and dizzy. Peggy Carter was a strong S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and not any easy harm could come to her. But it seemed that went beyond something she could control. With the adrenaline going down, Peggy groped on a hurting spot to find a bleeding wound. It had a bad bandage against it, that probably couldn’t handle the bleeding when she started walking. Maybe she shouldn’t have left the cottage after all.

Blood didn’t shake her, but knowing she was bleeding worried Peggy. It was underneath her clothes and Peggy couldn’t take a look to see how bad it was. If she didn’t found a way to contain it, then Peggy would certainly ascend to the skies. It didn’t sound a bad idea when she thought she could meet with Steve. But Peggy was pretty sure they weren’t going to the same place after death, so she planned to stay alive.

Then she was saved before she even knew, when she heard a voice just as she stood up.

“There she is.” Peggy looked around to see five figures approaching her. One that had this iron armor, that she considered being a robot even after his face was revealed, and other that wore completely weird clothes while carrying a giant hammer. The other three seemed pretty normal so her eyes went back to the iron robot, because he looked  _too_  familiar.

“Peggy Carter?” Her eyes widened when the lady said her name and Peggy instantly reached for her gun that wasn’t where it was supposed to be. “Please, we’re here to help.”

“We’re from S.H.I.E.L.D.” The man carrying a bow and arrow clarified. Now that she had actually noticed him, he seemed strange too.

“Do not get close.” Peggy said in her strong British accent. She was wounded, tired and in pain, but she wasn’t letting people trick her. “You’re  _not_  S.H.I.E.L.D.”

“We give you our promise that we are.” The hammered man said, and she narrowed her eyes, even more suspicious.

“Where am I?” Her voice cracked up slightly. Then, the woman that looked more common to her, though her clothing did seem odd to what Peggy was used to, took the lead.

“You’re bleeding, let us help you. There’s a lot you need to be updated and we’ll answer you everything, but you need to come with us.” There was something so odd about all that, Peggy couldn’t really understand what was going on and what she had been put into. She just wanted to seat. And shower.

“Where am I?” Carter repeated though, rougher this time.

“New Jersey.” The one with a familiar face said it, finally. Still, something didn’t fit. She had been to Jersey and it was  _nothing_  like it. Then the possibility crossed her mind, but she didn’t want to believe it.

“W-What year is it?” Peggy hesitated.

“2013.”

“That—“ She paused, both stunned and completely scared. “—That’s impossible.” She lost her breath there, for what seemed a very long second.

~*

Steve Rogers could not believe the words that had been said to him. Sat in a comfortable chair at Fury’s office, he suddenly became unquiet. That could not be true. He had gone through the files. He read every and each one of them about her. The file case itself read retired. She had been ninety-something now. Alive, yes. Even though he still hadn’t gotten the guts to go there and see her with his own eyes. Steve hadn’t been ready. But she was even less ready to what Fury had just told him. For a second he thought that maybe if he had told Peggy died it’d be less shocking. But he didn’t want to even imagine a scenario where she was truly dead and gone, not when he knew she was still alive. So he shook the thoughts away.  _That_  was much more serious after all.

His throat, seemed to have something stuck in it. Maybe because he had so many questions formulating in his mind and yet he could not put out any of them. Was she alright? How did she get there? Was that even possible? All those circled his mind and Nick could see that, by the way the frown formed in his forehead.

“We believe it was time travel. I know it may sound completely impossible, but that is the only plausible solution we’ve been considering.” Fury explained, sat in front of Captain America, he choose words carefully. “But we know the Tesseract may leave tracks behind. Maybe they were using it or researching and something happened.” Fury leaned back, making a pause. “Agent Romanoff spoke to her on the way here and—“

“Peggy is here?” Steve finally spoke up, looking Fury with what he’d describe as hope. Nick Fury just nodded. “I need to see her. I need to speak to her.”

“Agent Romanoff spoke to her, Rogers. Peggy Carter has no clue how she got in here. We explained that it’s 2013 and she couldn’t quite tell us how she ended up here. She still doesn’t trust us being S.H.I.E.L.D. and was very careful on giving information, as I noticed.”

“She will trust me. Let me talk to her.” Steve insisted. The fact Fury had ignored his previous words only made him mad and desperate. “I need to see her, Fury.” He stood up then, impatiently.

“She doesn’t know you’re alive, Rogers. She lives in a world where Captain America was never found.”

“Then let me tell her what happened.” His hand reached for his hair, his large fingers passing through the blonde locks. “I know Peggy, she’s tough. But she’ll recognize me, she’ll know it’s me. I  _have_  to see her.” The past two years, since he had been found frozen and alive, Steve had been trying to move on and go with his life in a world so different from what he knew. And now someone from his past that he had cared so much for, that he  _almost_  had had the chance to fall in love with and built up something good. Steve was desperate to reconnect with those kind of life possibilities that had been taken from him, thanks to his own choice.

“Fine,” Fury finally said, “I’ll take you to see her.” At first, Steve blinked surprised, thinking it’d take him a little more begging. Then he nodded and was leaving the room before Fury could change his mind.

They walked side by side in silence, through S.H.I.E.L.D.’s long and busy corridors. Steve thought to himself in the way, how disturbing it must have been to Peggy to be dragged to that underground facility after being told she was in the future. He  _knew_  the feeling. But he knew Peggy wouldn’t be scared, or wouldn’t be showing it. She was suspicious, though. That Steve was positive without even needing to see her. That was Peggy they were talking about after all.

He had been anxious to see her and that short jog seemed like a marathon made in slow turtle steps. They stopped in front of a door. It was one of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s recovery room. Steve wondered if that had been necessary after all, those rooms seemed like they were treating a sick patient and could be rather scary. At least to him who hated hospital looking places.

Fury opened the door and stepped in first. “Ms. Carter, we have someone here who would like to talk to you.” Peggy was facing the opposite wall to the door, standing up near a few equipments. She had an improvised gown on, because it was light and didn’t touch much of her skin—as it was huge to her, looking like one of those hospital clothes— and even before she turned around Steve saw the bruises in her arms and legs, understanding the room she had been put in. That made his head hurt and his heart tightened.

It only lasted a second, but to Steve all seemed to happen in slow motion, as she turned around to face Fury and him, standing right behind the commander. From her angle, took Peggy another extra moment to actually see Steve and then she froze with the vision. For a second, she really thought she was dead, as her chin dropped and her eyes instantly grew to tears—which made her terribly frustrated, because she hated feeling defeated and weak. But the frustration faded, everything did, even the pain from the cut in her leg, even the wounds from her face seemed to heal. She wanted to speak but the words failed.

“Peggy.” Steve was the one to break the silence then. His eyes had teared up as well, though a lot more than her, because one or two actually fell, rolling through his trembling cheek. She was actually there. His Peggy. The one that had trained him, that stood by his side, that he relied on for everything, for his strength. He couldn’t believe it was her. She couldn’t believe it was him.

Her Steve. That young boy dreamy boy she met, the one whom she watched grow inside and out for so long, from a distance. That she saw inspire America and herself. It was him, right in front of her, looking just as the last time she saw him, in the 40’s! But how could it be? If he had been alive, Steve would have aged a little, even with the super soldier gene running through his veins. Yet, there he was, just like she knew him. Had he traveled in time too? Or was all that a set up.

Peggy didn’t speak a word, not until Fury excused himself and closed the door behind him. Even then, she stood in silence. Taking that in, absorbing that. Steve had been analyzing her too. It  _was_  really her, he knew it. But she was so wounded, so hurt. Worried him in ways Peggy couldn’t even imagine. He hadn’t even seen her like that. Neither during war. Steve took a step forward and Peggy one behind, making him stop. When he looked down, her already fast-beating-heart took a giant leap that made her lose her breath. It was Steve. That couldn’t be anyone else.

“Is—Is that really you, S—Steve?” Her voice cracked up and before she knew it, the second he nodded to her words, they were involved in each other’s arms, laced by a deep, and carried with feelings, hug. A hug of two people that had longed for each other so many time and so badly, that nothing could tear them apart from sharing that moment now.


	3. A Whole New World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peggy discovers about the Avengers initiative and how Steve's life has turned out in this whole new world. Fluff all over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO, Steggies! I am so grateful and happy with all the kudos, subscribes and all support in general that you’ve been giving me. Seriously, you’re the best. So here I bring you a full 3k+ words chapter all of Steggy cuteness. I hope you enjoy! Waiting on your thoughts, loveballs. Good reading, mwah!

Her breathing became suddenly steady, maybe because Steve brought up that old feeling of an unsettled feeling Peggy had been carrying ever since he disappeared after that forced landing. Back then, when they had been scheduling that date over a troubled call, she already knew. Agent Carter knew that was the end, that there was no going back once he had made his decision. She still found oddly beautiful that he had even brought up the possibility of rain checking on the date—a date Agent Carter knew it wouldn’t happen. But  _Peggy_  had hope. Deep down inside she always had and never let it die in the darkest and most sad parts of her heart. She couldn’t manage to go to The Stork Club on that particular Saturday, obviously not—instead Peggy had curled in bed and cried, like she ever done before. But something in her heart never died, and it fought with her head when it forced rationality to her brains. And even with a hopeful heart that always knew that could happen, Peggy was suddenly so scared, so confuse.

Steve noticed that on her and gently pulled back from their hug. His face carrying all those not pretty red spots from the crying that had wet his cheeks as the tears had rolled down without permission. Steve couldn’t believe, but there the odds were, proving him once again that  _nothing_  was impossible. Like Peggy, Steve was still in a state of complete confusion, but he was more worried about how she was coping, how she was taking all that in. Steve was never one who just  _accepted_  things and situations and for a good part of it he had Peggy Carter to thank for that—since it was her who gave him the moral guidance and support when he was playing dancing monkey during World War. He hadn’t ever accepted the fact he stood frozen 70 years, missing that date, missed that chance with Peggy. But he was force to go from that and manage through the life his choices lead him. Steve always though Peggy would be proud of him, for having courage to do what’s best for his country, putting others before himself. But it didn’t take off the hurt of losing her in the process. So now that she was there, he didn’t quite know where to start.

“You’re alive.” It was Peggy who broke the silence, her eyes were stuck on him, but they moved everywhere in his face, taking the fact he looked exactly the same age they had last seen each other. Peggy still couldn’t process how, not in that 2-13 scenario they had set her in. “T-They said, it’s 2013…  _How_  are you alive? We should both be dead.” Her     voice cracked slightly as she spoke. Carter had done the math while before, while she was still processing Agent Romanoff’s informations in her mind. Peggy would have been ninety-something about that time, so she couldn’t have lost her memory and thought she was in the 1952, where her last memory came from. Not with that face, or body.

“Come seat down. You’re hurt.” Steve said then. Now that they stood so closely together, he could see how they looked pretty bad, making his worry grow. He was not surprised she protested as he tried leading her to seat on the bed. Not when he wasn’t answering her questions. Peggy didn’t need to say a word so he’d know that was the deal. “Please, Peggy. I promise I will answer everything. Just seat.” They hadn’t mention the deep cut that stood near her left knee and that kind of frustrated Steve. Fury had clearly been trying to hide some facts there.

When she finally sat down, Steve sat beside her. “Is it hurting? How’d you get this?” Peggy looked down. Now she understood the bleeding wound. That she remembered quite well and it had nothing to do with whatever happened to her now.

“It was a gunshot.” Steve’s eyes widened, Peggy continued then. “A couple of years ago—“ she paused, frowning “—ninety… Oh, does not matter. I have asked you questions before, Steve. Please, do answer them and do not dare changing the subject here.” Her tone was severe and Steve nodded in an instant. For a second he though Stark would probably make fun of him if he’d seen that.

“I’m sorry. You’re right, I’ll answer yours first. Then you answer mine.” Peggy did not nodded or pronounced any agreement words, mostly because she wasn’t sure she’d be able to answer what he had to ask. But Peggy would do her best because it was Steve. “I was found frozen two years ago.” He started explaining. “Stark’s industry was looking for the Tesseract—“ Peggy suddenly interrupted him.

“Is Howard still alive?” She asked in her British wondering accent. Steve sighed.

“Unfortunately not. His son is… Tony.” Both Peggy and Steve seemed a little shaken by the information. Though Steve had known before, it was still hard to cope with the fact his old friend had died before they could be reunited—like had happened with so many others in his life. “He was the one looking for it and they found me frozen in Hydra’s plane.” Peggy looked down and Steve stopped his tale because she looked reflexive. “What?”

“If you had told me your coordination, we would have known where to be looking at.” Suddenly, it seemed there was something stuck in her throat, that bothered her for not looking further, forcing them to dig more on the search for Steve. “You were frozen, for 70 years.”

“It wasn’t your fault they didn’t find me.” Steve read into her thoughts and his hand reached for hers. That sudden touch made her look up, into his deep eyes. Peggy didn’t pull back.

“We should not have stopped it. I always thought it was not right. Not after all you had done to the country.” There was so much more though, so many other things in between that she couldn’t control even though she wished she could have. “But it was me against all them.” The fact all knew Peggy had been in love with him also added badly to her balance. They all just believed she was not to be hear under the set circumstances. So Peggy suffered in silence. “But do continue.”

Steve glanced her for a few moments, wondering how painful it must have been to her during the past years she had lived. He wasn’t quite sure she still had feelings towards him, but his did not stop during the last forty-eight months Steve was unfrozen and living. Especially not when he’d seat at Central Park and think how he wanted to be there with Peggy, both aging together, with gray hairs and grandchildren around them; not when he dragged himself to sleep just to be awaken in the middle of the night by a dream where they got their second chance and lived happily.

“S.H.I.E.L.D. helped me adapting to the new…  _Era_.” Steve didn’t know how he could quite define it all. He was living in a whole different world. When he went to  _sleep_ , everything was still in a deep and troubled war. Waking up to a country full of all that freedom they had battled to gain, a world ruled by advanced technology in which  _none_  of the people he loved and cared were part of. It had been two years of struggle. And he imagined it wouldn’t be an easy task for Peggy either, but he’d be there for her, no matter what. “The world has changed a lot.”

“I noticed during my brief moments out there.” She felt honestly caged in that underground facility. It had been awkward entering that car with those awkward figures while the only person she had really felt any connection had been the iron robot one—whom she noticed to be easily inappropriate, during just a short ride. “Who are those people who found me? Those agents?” Steve noticed, while Peggy seemed to be trying to remember something, that she hadn’t asked how he did not die frozen, but he guessed she knew the large scales the super-soldier serum had. “I think it was Agent Romanoff, Agent Barton, Dr. Banner… And I do not believe the robot and the one carrying a hammer presented themselves on the way here.” She continued, remembering their names then.

“Oh, you met my friends.” Steve suddenly smiled and Peggy caught herself cherishing that instant. She hadn’t realized how much she had missed his smile. “They’re the Avengers,  _we_  are.” Her eyes widened then, and Steve smiled.

“I thought the initiative had been put aside.” Peggy cleared. Steve nodded, making her even more confuse.

“It was. But we managed to rebuild it last year.”

“How come?” Peggy asked, suddenly surprised and interested.

“There are so many things you would not believe if I told you…” Captain Rogers was shaking his head then, the exact goofy way Peggy had seen him do a couple times during the brief years they spent together. That brought a smile to the corner of her lips, it was small, but a start.

“Do try me.” She said.

“I will tell you everything. But first—“ Steve paused, remembering questions he was instructed to make before he left Fury’s office. He shook his head, then continuing “—are you alright?” As instinct, his hand reached out for her face, touching her chin. Peggy stood for a second, caught up by that, but then her muscles relaxed. The way he was concerned about her was touching in every way.

“I’m alright.” Every time her accent show more, brought Steve goosebumps. It was a sound he had forgotten how good it could be to his ears. “I have been through worst scenarios.” Agent Carter shook her head, remembering her first years after war, after losing Steve. “You promised not to change the subject, Steve.”

“Right.” He nodded, smiling at her polite yet serious tone. She liked words to be kept and things to be done her way, Steve had lived under her training for long enough to learn that. “What else do you want to know?”

“Tell me about the Avengers, the other two I do not know the name.” Steve remembered then, how one of them might be important for her to know about.

“Remember I said Howard had a son?” Peggy nodded.

“Tony.”

“Yes. Is that one you called a robot. That’s actually his armor.” Steve explained and then suddenly all made sense in Peggy’s mind. That’s why he looked so familiar to her. He was Howard’s son.  _Bloody hell_ , she thought,  _Howard had actually managed to settled down and build a family_.

“He was fruit of a lovingly marriage wasn’t it?” She asked, unsure but hopeful her friend had actually gained sense to his mind. Steve nodded and she breathed in relief.

“From all I know, he is… Although he’s got a lot from Howard, Tony is a lot more…” Steve tried to formulate a word, but couldn’t quite really. “I guess you’ll see, it’s hard to explain.” He cleared his mind then. “The other one is Thor. He’s a God.” When Peggy frowned, her head tilting to the side, Steve wondered what went through her mind. “As in the real actual sense of the word, not figuratively at all. He came from another world, called Asgard.”

It was a lot of information. Peggy thought, for a moment there, if she was really ready to hear that all. She took a breath and Steve saw her becoming instantly distant and thoughtful. He remembered well how hard it had been for him to take all that information, so silence invaded the room as the man gave his so long lost love space to digest it all, leaving Peggy to cue the next thing she wanted to know.

“You can ask your questions.” She said, after what seemed brief minutes. Steve nodded.

“How you got shot?” Steve had been instructed to ask several different questions about why and how she was there, but all he could process was why Peggy hadn’t been fully well. She noticed that. Peggy knew he’d be requested to ask her questions and she knew those weren’t standard questions in situations like that, or similar. But it warmed her heart to know Steve had been so worried to the point he’d make his own questions.

“I was working as an agent. By the time I was actually helping Howard to clear his mess.” Peggy frowned, remembering the milk distributor car and the  _sparkling grandees_  that exploded to make a whole factory disappear. “It was a complicated time. War was over and people did not want a woman in anything but secretaries or waitresses. Or housewives.” Which never suited her, but she’d have considered if it was by Steve’s side. Though she thought he’d never stop her from being who she really was. “I got shot in one of the missions. But it was in forty-three. I have no idea why would open now.” Peggy sighed, looking doing bothered with it.

“Maybe it was during your landing.” He thought, frowning. “I was told they spotted the Tesseract force and that’s how they found you. You probably landed there in the middle of nowhere coming from… Well, nineteen-forty-three.”

“I came from fifty-two.” She corrected then. She knew, at some point, she’d have to say something—at least what she knew and remember—and preferred it being with Steve than anyone else she didn’t know. “Me, Howard and Phillips were researching Tesseract tracks ever since forty-eight. Howard’s studies lead to nothing during quite a while. But recently he developed a capsule. We could use it for testing and we were doing with people. Howard had assured me and Captain Phillips that was safe, mainly why we kept the project running in secret. But…” Peggy looked down, the most recent memories were the blurriest ones. “We were suspecting our volunteer’s intentions. Although we did quite a selection, it was hard finding honest and great men like—“ Her eyes glared up and found his. “—you. So I volunteered to go on his place. And the last thing I remember was a blue, bright light and… And you.” She repeated the same brief pause. The seconds followed silence and deep, long stares. “I missed you so much, Steve.” For Peggy it was hard confessing something like it. But so much had happened. She had lost him once and they didn’t have their chance. During those years she had to live on and cope with his absence, Peggy had only wondered what could have been if she had taken a chance before and not waited until her stupid heart told her it’d be the last time. Because deep down she knew, that very first and last time they kissed, that she wouldn’t see him anymore after he went on that plane. But Peggy had always been a foolish hopeful when it came to Steve—though now her heart had proven her right.

“You have no idea how much I missed you, Peggy.” Suddenly, his forehead touched hers, as Steve leaned in. His eyes were closed, because all that pain came like a punch to his heart. He knew how she felt, and he hated they both had gone through so much. Even if she was there now, it was such an bizarre situation the universe put them through. He could only hope it was for the best.

Her hands cupped his face the second after he spoke and Peggy pulled back so her lips would touch his forehead, leaving a kiss there. If she was completely confuse and lost, she couldn’t imagine what had been to Steve to go through that for two years since he was found alive.  _Alone_. She felt everything flooding from him and it pained her as well. For a while, Peggy Carter just held Steve Rogers in her arms. He breathed heavily in her neck and took him a moment to notice how it caused chills to her skin. Then it came to him. Why was he wasting so much time?

The woman he had loved for so long and so much was right there in front of him. After two years thinking he had lost their chance forever, there she was proving him that nothing could be said as certain in this world. And dammit, he wasn’t letting her escape this time. They weren’t going to lose their chance again. Steve pulled back just enough to look at her. She knew it, she knew he’d kiss her by the way his iris became deep oceans she craved to dive in.

Peggy closed her eyes and Steve their distance. Their lips met halfway. Both of them sighed with the relief that was being able to do that again, when they had believed it’d be just in their dreams. Steve’s arms surrounded her waist to hold her steady, even if Peggy Carter could balance herself pretty easily. Their mouths opened up to space at the same time, their minds and wants synced. In the following moment, their tongues met inside their mouths for that dance they never had, that deepened their kiss. Growing the intimacy of their moment every time their heads turned and their lips collided to each other again.

It was heaven and none of them wanted to part fearing they would wake up alone, like it had happened every time they shared a moment like this, in their own paradise land. So for quite a while, they kept on regaining air from each other’s lungs. Steve pulled her closer as his hands softly moved through the whole extension of her spine. While Peggy’s fingers traveled up his shoulders, his neck and nape, until they were linking on his short locks of hair—that she gently pulled the times he’d gently pull on her lower lip.

When air started getting rare in the room, they had both to pull back. Steve was pretty sure there was a security camera in the room and all his co-workers were watching the scene now. He also didn’t want to give them a little show out of his and Peggy’s moments, so he thought it was better that way. Both were still panting though, when his hands cupped her face this time.

“I don’t care  _how_  you ended up here. You’re here now.” Steve mumbled into her lips, giving her some small kisses from time to time. She only nodded for a moment. Both of them still had their eyes closed, so it took a sniff from Peggy so that he’d open his to see her cry. His thumbs cleaning the wetness in her cheeks. Peggy looked at him too and smiled truly for the first time. A smile she hadn’t had in ages.

“And I’m not letting you slip away this time.” She said, her severe tone appearing, though she still carried the joy in her expression. “You’re not getting any bad guys without me.” They chuckled together, like in love fools. Steve said a  _‘screw them_ ’ mentally, to whoever could be watching them, before he kissed her again.

In the other room, where the security camera recordings lead, all the Avengers had dismissed themselves from the screen quite a while ago, except, of course, Stark. But it nothing that Natasha and Banner couldn’t handle with some threats to make him walk away from it, that he ended up doing, not without protesting, of course.


End file.
